(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention features a system for coupling first and second ends of a belt and in particular, to a belt repair system and method that uses a novel belt coupler to couple first and second broken ends of a broken belt.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Many types of equipment and vehicles require the use of belts, such as endless elastomeric drive belts, fan belts, and the like. Typical drive belts are subject to failure after prolonged use, as a result of wear or aging of the material of the drive belt. One common type of belt is made of rubber that becomes brittle as the rubber ages, thereby resulting in an unanticipated failure of the belt and the inability to use the vehicle or equipment in which it is used.
Automobiles as well as other vehicles, machines, or tools regularly use flexible drive belts for connecting portions of their drive systems. Failure of a drive belt can have a detrimental effect on the equipment, machinery or vehicle in which the drive belt is used, often resulting in a breakdown of the vehicle or machine. A failure of a fan belt in an automobile, for example, results in the failure of the connected water pump and cooling fans, causing the engine to overheat and requiring the engine to be shut down. Other similar drive belts are used on vehicle generators and power steering units for providing important auxiliary functions in vehicles. Use of a vehicle without these belts is difficult and usually impossible. Other mechanical systems, such as machine tools, refrigerating systems and the like, also include essential drive belts which fail from time to time, causing serious problems until they are replaced.
When a drive belt breaks, the ideal situation would be to have available a new drive belt of the same size and type. Frequently, however, storage facilities, such as service stations, do not have the proper size and type of belt. Moreover, the breakdown could take place in a remote location where no replacement belts are available.
One solution might be to carry enough replacement belts of the various sizes and types with the vehicle or equipment itself. However, this could require a large number of different types and sizes of belts. Other emergency belt kits provide a replacement belt that can be cut to a desired size and then coupled using a belt coupler. Such kits, however, require the entire broken belt to be replaced with a tubular belt that receives the belt coupler. These systems are undesirable because they require storage for both the replacement belts as well as the belt couplers. Another drawback of these emergency belt kits is that, although the length can be varied, the shape or type of the replacement belt might not match that of the broken belt. Thus, replacement belt might not function properly when used in place of the broken belt.